Over 100 Maynilad personnel have been working round-the-clock to put the water company’s Putatan Filtration Plant in full operational mode by this weekend.
The West Zone concessionaire’s filtration plant and deepwells in Putatan, which serves residents of Ayala Alabang Village (AAV), have been submerged in floodwaters since Typhoon Ondoy hit the country and caused the Laguna Lake to overflow.
Maynilad personnel and contractors are working together to sandbag the perimeter and pump out floodwaters from the deepwells, as well as fill up two reservoirs in the village to address the water supply needs of more than 4,000 affected residents.
At present, five deepwells are already operational—up from only one deepwell at the height of the typhoon. Water supply to AAV has now been extended to three hours in the morning and another three hours at night. Tankers have also been deployed to ration water to the affected homes.
The record-high rainfall and unprecedented flooding caused by Typhoon Ondoy have prompted Maynilad to review and revise the design of its new treatment plant currently under construction in Putatan. “We are modifying our structural plans to ensure that a typhoon of this magnitude does not hinder our operations and services to our customers again.” said Chris Lichauco, Head of Business Area Operations.
Photo: Maynilad workers flush water out of a deepwell to lower turbidity level and make the supply usable for domestic consumption. The water pump is continuously dewatering the pit on a 24-hour rotation to keep the deepwell running.
